The Ouya Provides an Affordable Gaming Option for Your Kids

The Ouya is one of the most successful Kickstarter projects to date, raising over $8.5 million with an initial goal of just $950,000 in its 2012 campaign. The console, which was released to the public in June 2013, runs its own version of the Android operating system and encourages independent developers to submit games for distribution.

The Ouya is not a substitute for a PlayStation or an Xbox, both of which have more computing power and a better selection of games from top developers. But, as a mom, there are several things I really like about the Ouya as a system for younger children and the casual adult gamer:

• The system itself is a tiny cube that takes up next to no room on your entertainment center.
• The interface is easy to navigate, even if you’re not an experienced gamer.
• All of the games are downloaded directly to your system, so your child isn’t going to accidentally scratch any expensive discs.
• All of the games are free to try, so you’re not wasting money on titles your kids will hate.
• The system is only $99 and every game I saw was $15 or less to buy, which makes the Ouya a much more budget-friendly entertainment option than other systems out there.

Cool kid and family-friendly games for the Ouya include:

• Save the Puppies - A dog-catcher comes and takes all of the precious pooches of the neighborhood and holds them captive at the city park. You need to save the doggies by freeing them from their cages. (The full version of this game is completely free, too!)
• Hero of Many - Players act as a hero on a journey through an extremely dangerous world. There are 26 different levels to explore.
• Luxuria Superbia - This simple yet intriguing game has you coloring different designs and exploring different musical interludes.
• Unstable Blocks - This game is basically Tetris, but it’s still a fun way to challenge your child’s problem solving skills.
• Word Shaker - Players try to quickly find as many words as they can on a grid. This is a great way to encourage your child to work on spelling and reading skills. You can make the board larger to make the game more challenging, if desired. (With a larger board, this is one of my favorite games to play on my own!)
• Quizania - There’s nothing impressive here as far as graphics go, but the trivia questions are interesting and informative. You can use Android smartphones or touchscreen tablets to play the game with up to 12 people.

The best supplemental app I found for the Ouya was iStorybooks. This app plays a selection of free children’s storybooks on your Ouya. Most of the titles are for toddlers and preschoolers, but there are a few more complex books for older children like a biography of Helen Keller.

One thing that would make the Ouya much better, which I hope they’ll consider adding in the future, is support for Netflix. You can use it to watch videos on YouTube or Vimeo, but the ability to watch Netflix is one of the main things my family likes about the other game systems in our house.

Visit the Ouya website to learn more about the system and the games it offers or to purchase a console for your family.

Disclaimer: A sample Ouya console was provided by the manufacturer for the purpose of preparing this review.

Photo credit: Ouya